Tennis training apparatus

ABSTRACT

890,352. Tennis practising appliances. KALLAI, O. Nov. 15, 1960, No. 39224/60. Class 132(2) Tennis training apparatus has an adjustable ball returning surface 4 provided with a movable horizontal strip 6 to which a bell 9 is connected by cords, the strip 6 being mounted at a height corresponding to the upper side of a tennis net so that balls played correctly are not returned by surface 4 but pass through an opening therein,the bell 9 signalling such a stroke. A stop net 12 and catching net 10 lead balls back to the player and the apparatus is adjustably mounted on stands 1 by a shaft 2.

April 2 7, 1965 o. KALLAI 3,180,643

TENNIS TRAINING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 8, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY W m fl /M may April 27, 1965 o. KALLAI TENNIS TRAINING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 8, 1961 INVENTOR.

BY WM% MWMW United States Patent 3,180,643 TENNIS TRAINING APPARATUS Osln'n' Kailai, Lissevenlaan 11, Waalre,

North Brabant, Netherlands Filed Nov. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 151,025 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Nov. 15, 1960, 39 ,224/ 60 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-49) This detracts from the usability of the apparatus.

It is an object of this invention to overcome this disadvantage by providing the ball returning surface with a horizontal strip that is adapted to be removed from said surface. The strip is mounted at a height corresponding to the height of the upperside of the net, so that when the strip has been removed so as to leave a horizontal open ing, balls which have been played correctly and which would have passed just over the net are not returned, but will pass through said opening to land behind said surface.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for indicating whether the ball has been correctly played so as to pass through the opening in the ball returning surface.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide means for catching and returning to the user of the apparatus balls which have passed through the opening in the ball returning surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the ball catching and returning means from throwing the balls back at the user of the apparatus over the top of or through the opening in the ball returning surface.

By way of example, a specific embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

FIGURE lis a front elevation of an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a side view and partly a cross-sectional view taken on line II-II in FIGURE 1.

The apparatusrests on two stands 1 thatare connected by a horizontal shaft 2 about which the apparatus is rotatable. By means of a slot and a co-operating clamping screw 3 the apparatus can be secured in any desired position.

The ball returning member is designated by the numeral 4 and a removable strip designated by the numeral Sis held'against the back of the ball returning member 4 covering a horizontal opening 4:: therein; 7 Clamps Sa' hold the removable strip against theback of ball returning member 4. a

The ball catching and guiding device may be made from an appropriate material. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 a net 10 is provided which 'is stretched between supporting bars. It will be clear without further explanation that balls that are caught by the netwill drop down after having lost their speed and will be led back towards I the player by the curved shape of the'net. Since the balls which have passed through the opening in the ball returning surface are thus automatically returned to the. user of the apparatus rather than being held behind the ball returning surface, any running about for fetching the balls is obviated, and the training time can be fully utilized; The numeral 11 designates a closure .means mounted for pivotal-movement and located at the lower "ice Patented Apr. 27, 1965 1 0 is adjusted. The numeral 12 designates a ball stopping net provided above and behind the ball returning surface. Balls which are played very hard and sharp will thus not be thrown back by the net 10, but will strike the hanging net 12 and drop down behind the ball returning surface against the lower part of the net 10 and be returned to the user of the apparatus.

The wing members 13 are rotatably secured to the stand at 14. Said stand may be adjustable relative to the ground, it being possible to raise and lower it by means of set screws 15, if desired. This adjustment, in combination with the rotatability of the apparatus about the shaft 2 enables the training conditions to be modified by adjusting both the angle of the ball returning surface as well as the height of the opening therein.

The construction shown is composed of small parts. This greatly facilitates the transporting of the apparatus.

Moreover the majority of said parts are readily obtainable commercially, which reduces the manufacturing cost.

I claim:

1. A tennis training apparatus, comprising a ball returning member having a ball returning surface thereon, adjustable mounting means on which said ball returning member is mounted for adjustably supporting said surface in a given position, said ball returning member having a horizontally extending opening therethrough opening along the length of said ball returning surface, and a removable horizontal strip removably mounted securely against said ball returning member and covering said opening, a ball catching member positioned behind and secured to said ball returning member, said ball catching member opening toward the direction from which balls are intended to be driven against the ball returning surface a horizontally extending opening therethrough opening along thelength of said ball returning surface, and a removable horizontal strip removably mounted securely against said ball returning member and covering said opening, a ball catching member positioned behind said ball returning member, said ball catching member having a ball catching surface with'a lower portion extending in the direction from which balls are intended to be driven against the ball returning surfa'ce,said ball catching member being mounted on said adjustable mounting means,

I said adjustable mounting means having a horizontal shaft extending through the center of gravity of said apparatus,

and a supporting frame on which said horizontal shaft is rotatably mounted for permitting easy rotation of said apparatus on said supporting frame.

3. A tennis training apparatus, comprising va ball returning member having a ball returning surface thereon, a ball catching member positioned behind andsecur ed to said ball' returning member, said ball catching member opening toward the direction from which balls. are intended to be drivenagainst the ball returning surface and returning member and hanging frornasaid bail catching 5 member with the lower edge thereof being free.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,123,051 12/14 Whiteman -1 27 1,908,359 5/33 Hughes 273 -484 X 3 W1 6 RICHARD c. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

Regenold 273 103 Rose 273102.1 Clark 27329.1 Cole 273-102.4

FOREIGN PATENTS V Great Britain. Great Britain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner. 

3. A TENNIS TRAINING APPARATUS COMPRISING A BALL RETURNING MEMBER HAVING A BALL RETURNING SURFACE THEREON, A BALL CATCHING MEMBER POSITIONED BEHIND AND SECURED TO SAID BALL RETURNING MEMBER, SAID BALL CATCHING MEMBER OPENING TOWARD THE DIRECTION FROM WHICH BALLS ARE INTENDED TO BE DRIVEN AGAINST THE BALL RETURNING SURFACE AND HAVING A BALL CATCHING SURFACE WITH A LOWER PORTION EX- 